THE NEW GRAVING-DOCK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 290, 1 September 1908, Page 6

THE NEW GRAVING-DOCK.

MAKING GOOD PROCRESS. ' , ' A MIXING MACHINE. . It is satisfactory to note that'good progress is iiow being; made' with the. construction of the "now graving dock. It was stated in an -\ article . that appeared in The Dominion a few weeks ago that the work was delayed through short supplies of white pino timber,' which was required for tho completion of tile trestle-work. The timber, howover, is now- coming in satisfactorily, and about two or three. trUck-loads aro received daily. Twenty carpenters are .engaged on the trostle-wOrk, which is now well forward. • About thirty men are employed on the job altogether, but more will be required when tho mixer commences operations. - The mixing apparatus is, almost ready for vise. Its novelty lies in the fact that it is on an exceptionally largo scale, and is equipped- with every facility for expeditiously mixing ' the cement and shingle. The machinery, or most of it, is encased in a large wood and galvanised iron structure ereetod for that especial purpose. An idea of the size of the apparatus may be, gleaned from the measurements of the 'building, which are: Height, 40ft.j length, 80ft.; and breadth, 22ft. ■ From the top an- excellent view of the city and suburbs and harbour is to be seen. ' Coming to the actual mechanism of tho mixer/it may be. stated that'the metal to bo used for the concrete comes from a certain area in the Hutfc river-bed, Mr. Pitcaithly, of Lyttclton, being the contractor. It is brought by train to Te'Aro, and is shunted by a side-line direct to a large receiving trench, into which the trucks discharge their contents. From this trench the shingle is carried upward by an elevator of a couple of hundred buckets, and . deposited in the top of the mixer. It is carried along by means' of a conveying belt driven by a motor engine to an arrangement called the tumbler, from which it falls into ono of the six bins, according' to the size of.the metal and its purpose.: At'the

bottom of cach bin there is a slide, which is withdrawn as the metdl is bfeing dropped into the actual mixer. Tlio cement is alongside, and tho resultant concrete is carried away on trucks to the cranes to be 'placed into position. ;• V," -i• , A start has been-madb with the wooden "leaves" for supporting the concrete blocks, and tho only thing that delays the actual work is that there is some slight delay in getting some of tho machinery ready. Inside a fortnight, however, tho mixer • will bo in active operation, contingent of cours6, .upon fino weather being experienced meantime. : There is no metal on the site at present, but it is available whenever it is' required.; It is of five sizes, and will arrivo sorted and ready for use. ; . A largo expanse of \?ater has, to bo filled in, but this work caniiot bo proceeded with until the concrete bottom of the' dock-lias been built up to a height of about niiie feet, as tho filling would otherwise silt into tho dock.